Control apparatus and bracket therefor



May 4, 1948. H A. ROWE common APPARATUS AND BRACKET THEREFOR Filed June22, 1945 .mw m 1 A I m m y H k M B 6 2 C 3 68 4 4 .3 O 4 5 4 3 w W 6 3 23 ATTORNEYS Patented May 4, 1948 CONTROL APPARATUS AND BRACKET THEREFORHenry A. Rowe, Cambridge, Mass., assignor to Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, Cambridge, Mass.

Application June 22, 1945, Serial No. 600,871

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for controlling movements of a gunmount, and a collapsible bracket therefor. For efiective use ofanti-aircraft guns, it is necessary that the guns be capable of rapidmovement both in azimuth and elevation, and that such movements beaccurately controlled. For this purpose, sensitive servo-mechanisms areemployed, these mechanisms being in many cases controlled by apparatuscontained in a case or cabinet having a pair of hand grips by which themechanism within the cabinet can be manually operated. In order tofacilitate the manipulation of such grips by the gunner, the cabinet bywhich the grips are carried is supported over the lap of the seatedgunner so that the grips are within easy and convenient reach. Accordingto the present invention, a collapsible bracket is attached to thecabinet to support it in the proper position when it is in use, and tosupport it in a raised position when not in use, so that the gunner canmore easily climb into or out of his seat, and so that auxiliary controlapparatus for moving the gun mount can be employed, the position of theauxiliary control apparatus being such that access to it is obstructedby the control cabinet when the latter is in position for use.

The invention is more fully hereinafter described, and an embodiment isillustrated in the drawingof which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun mount showing a control cabinetand supporting means therefor.

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the cabinet and support in adifierent position, and

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the cabinet and its support.

The drawing shows the invention as used with an anti-aircraft gun l0 andits mount which are rotatable on a pedestal l2. Guns of this type areusually supplied with power mechanisms by which they can be easily andaccurately trained and pointed. Control mechanism, the details of whichare not pertinent to this invention, is contained in a cabinet l4. 0nthe cabinet are mounted a pair of grips l6 and I8 manipulation of whichcauses the power mechanism to impart desired movements to the mount. Aseat 20 with a backrest 22 is adjustably mounted on a bracket 24supported by the gun mount. Footrests 26 and 28 are also carried by thegun mount in a suitable position forward of the seat 20. For efiectiveoperation of the gun control means, the cabinet should be in such aposition, when in use, that the grips I8 and I8 are within easy reach ofthe gunner who is seated on the seat 20. Such position is preferablyover the outstretched legs of the gunner and is illustrated in Figure 1.When the cabinet is in this position, the clearance between its rear endand the seat is such that the gunner could get into and out of the seatonly with great difiiculty. The cabinet is therefore mounted in such away that it can be swung up to a raised position in which it is out ofthe gunners way. In its raised position the cabinet is also clear of ahand-crank 30 which is detachably mounted at the adjacent side of thegun mount and is conveniently located with reference to the gunner whenit is in position for use as shown in Figure 2. This crank is for manualoperation of the gun if power is not available. Since both the crank 30and the grips l6 and 18 must be within easy reach when wanted, thecabinet when'in the position shown in Figure 1 interferes with the useof the crank. Hence, when the gunner desires to use the crank 30, hefirst swings the cabinet up to its raised position.

For this purpose the cabinet I4 is hinged at or near its forward end toa suitable fixed bracket 32 having a rod or hinge pin 34 rigidly securedthereto on which are rockably mounted a pair of bearing members 36attached to the cabinet. The bracket 32 including the rod 34 having afixed arm 48 thereon may be secured to any convenient part of the gunmount or framework carried thereby. The rear end of the cabinet issupported by a leg or stanchion 38 which is pivotally attached at itsupper end between a pair of ears 4!) attached to the cabinet. When thecabinet is in its position for use, the lower end of the leg 38 issecured between a pair of ears 42 mounted on some part of the gun mount,a pin 44 being thrust through aligned holes in the ears 42 and the lowerend of the leg to secure the joint.

When the gunner is ready to leave his seat, he reaches down and removesthe pin 44, thus releasing the lower end of the leg 38. The cabinet cannow be swung up to its raised position in which position it can besecured by thrusting the pin 44 through the hole in the lower end of theleg 38 after that hole has been brought into alignment with a hole 46 inan arm 48 which is fixed adjustably on the rod 34 by any suitableadjustable fixing means on arm 48 at rod 34 as indicated in Figure 3,arm 48 projecting downwardly from rod 34 in normal fixed position. Inorder to guide the lower end of the rod 38 so that the hole therein willmove into alignment with the hole 46, a link 50 is pivoted at 52 to thearm 48 at a point below the hole 46 and at 54 to an intermediate pointof the leg 38. This link also serves to limit the extent of the upwardswing of the cabinet I 4. Thus the gunner need only swing the cabinet upas far as it will go, then push the leg 38 forward slightly to b ringthe holes inthe leg 13,3 and:arm 48 intos alignmentt to receive the pin44. This positionis illustrated in Figure 2. After the gunner hasresumed his, seat, the pin 34 is pulled out to release the cabi netwhich can then be swung downtolitsnhori zontal position. The link 5|]controls the swing of the le 33 so that the lower end 01f thelatter,

moves into alignment with thejear 2 when cabinet reaches its horizontalposition.

I claim:

1. In combination with a gun mount; a seat-for the gunner, a controlcabinet, and means 02511? porting said cabinet comprising a hing'devicebe w n e mo nt n hew qrwa-rdl nd or on of w hefl ab l f g "a inet r herwit i salfii se'curejd at its lowefnd to the cunt, a'fixe zd .w bracket.adj acent to said hinge 'devi N a link ex:

rrnediate tending from saidj bracketl to point of said .leg,'andj mea'mount when the tion over the lap of a bracket :when the, ca raisedposition.

2. In combination with a,gun mount, a seat ated jgunner or: to said forthe gunner, a. control cabinet, and means for supportin the cabirietarna-tively in asubion fori senon in a raised position to permi the gunrte enteron i l y ori ontal pa leave lllSsGfit, saidj sup rtin'g' a vhinge j device connect ng rward nd to the fm nt.., elf ld pivotally'attached it w t ecur ng he lower-end of thejleg alternat vely to thegunc bine l sf. n. a h r ontal posl bu let is: back to a position topermit the gunner to enter or leave his. seat, saidisupporting meanscomprising a horizontal rod rigidly secured to said mount, pivot meansrockably connecting said cabinet near its forwards-endwith s aid rod, abracket arm adjustably rnounted on said rod and extending radiallytherefrom, aleg pivotally attached to said cabinet nearthe .rear endthereof and. extending vertically downward therefrom when the cabinet isin its horizontal position, a link pivotally attachedat one end to saidleg at an intermediate point theneoflfifid, at the other end, to, saidbracket arm, and means for detachably securing the freeend of said le gtothe mount when the. V cabinet is in its horizontal position or tohsaidbracket arm when the cabinetis in its raised Position.

4.;In combination with a gun mount, a seat for'the gunner, acontrolcabinet; and means for supporting theicabinetalternatively in asub:

stantially horizontal position fonuse or in a raised position when notin use, said supporting means o p i i a hin ed.di' e., nne ne a cabinetto said mount, and aleg pivotally attached aton end. to said cabinet andadapted to be detachably V secured at the. other end to said mount whensaidcabinetis in, a substantially horizontal position an d, alternatively to fixed 3l QIl'S iQ se v Po i ive:

A, ROWE 4.141? Wh ns dcab e in

